Friday, June 29, 2012

Another Ghetto Nerd Reprieve from Supreme Court Obamacare Discussions: The Recliner of Rage vs. Robotech; Triumph the Comic Insult Dog vs. Weiner Circle


What a sharp inversion of the standing norms which surround black masculinity and geek culture.  

If you had your own recliner of rage, could record a promo, and post it here on WARN (hint, hint), what would you rant about?

I am going to be trying out a few new features here on WARN over the summer to see if they gain traction. One of these will be an advice column; I am also going to be posting interviews with interesting folks--some you know, others I will be introducing you to--from various realms such as education, entertainment, the pundit classes, pro wrestling, and the like.

As a young ghetto nerd I loved me some Robotech. I remember the morning it premiered on three, yes three, TV stations at once. Interestingly, I was immediately struck down by an odd illness that came upon me with such speed that I was forced to stay home that day from school. What a coincidence!

During the three or so years that Robotech aired on TV, I had many lurid Ghostface bed humping dreams about Lynn Minmay, Lisa Hayes, and Miriya Sterling. In a game of "fuck? marry? or kill?" I would have to kill Minmay, fuck Lisa, and wifey up Miriya. Yup, that sounds about right.

With blessings come curses. While it has democratized information, the Internet has exposed and made accessible much of the sacred knowledge that was/is ghetto nerd culture. We do not have arcades anymore because many people prefer to play games online. Professional wrestling's secrets were revealed, and the mysteries of the "rag sheets" made obsolete by online forums, where kayfabe went to die. Sadly, there are no more marks above the age of 10 years old anymore. 

For example, G.I. Joe: The Movie was a project surrounded by rumors at the time of its airing. We ghetto nerds of a certain age remember that Duke was killed in the movie. We would swear, under oath if need be, that such an event had transpired! Funny thing, it would not be until years later that all was revealed: Duke had in fact died, but the ending was changed to accommodate the tender sensibilities of younger viewers. 

Robotech was also the topic of similar rumor-mongering...but these were naughty rumblings from the shadows and netherworlds. Apparently, Robotech contained scenes in which Rick Hunter made sweet love to Lynn Minmay. Talk about masturbatory fodder. Many ghetto nerds would search in places both high and low (and by low I mean nasty, dangerous, bootleg anime, kung-fu, and porn shops near Times Square in New York) for said footage during the 1980s and early 1990s.

We never found it...until now:


Damnable Internet. Some myths and fantasies remain magical and perfect precisely because they are ephemeral. These same myths and fantasies are usually ruined when made real.

A bonus Conan O'Brien moment...

Although I am boycotting Weiner Circle because it is a new age blackface race minstrel show where black women shuck and buck for the pleasures of white folks, in one of the city's most segregated neighborhoods, I had to laugh at this classic moment from Triumph the Comic Insult Dog which was recorded here in the Windy City a few weeks ago.

The politics of pleasure are oftentimes politically incorrect. Embrace the sensation; do not run away from it.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That footage isn't from ROBOTECH, but ORGUSS--which had the same character designer, mecha designer, and director.

Once again, the Internet fools many. Oh well....

chaunceydevega said...

@Anon. You have won a "no prize" in the GI Joe comic tradition. But Robotech doesn't exist per se, it is a redubbing of several series. Could that be the basis of the misunderstanding from our youth? Could we slip this Rick-Minmay sex scene in under that rubric, and thus have established the myth of origin?

Anonymous said...

Yawn..

chaunceydevega said...

@Anon. Those who complain the most often contribute the least. Why are you consistently so miserable?

Improbable Joe said...

You can watch all of Robotech on Netflix streaming. Problem solved.

Tom said...

What a sharp inversion of the standing norms which surround black masculinity and geek culture.

Maybe on the internet it is, but the few Black guys I know IRL are pretty much just like that. So am I for that matter.